Here is the "skinny"

I'm sure you are all tired of hearing about my weight loss but I am finally getting around to posting my (not so) glamorous photos of me through out the process.

The first set of photos was taken of me in the spring of 2009 when I had decided "I was going to lose weight!" I wanted to take a photo that showed me in ALL of my glory so I could look back and marvel at how far I had come! I'm sorry to say that I just didn't have the motivation to stick with it...just think how much farther along I could be if I had...

Then in the fall of 2010 Matt decided he was going to do something about his weight. He talked with is Dr. and a nutritionist and came up with a plan that would work for him. As he started to lose weight and drop pant sizes I couldn't have been happier for him! But as I would do the laundry it was getting harder to tell who's jeans were who's! I thought to myself "oh no, I don't THINK so!" I knew I needed to do something and fast!

One day while over at Auntie Viv's house (while planing the reunion) she told Sheri and I that her family was about to start a biggest loser contest. We both talked about how we needed something like that to light a fire under us!! The next day (Jan 28th) she called and told us that her family wanted us to join in and it was starting on Jan 31st! Talk about lighting a fire, we had two days to "get ready."

I had never before worried about calories, carbs, protein and new nothing about where to start. So Matt, being the supportive husband, helped me find apps for my phone to help track what I ate. He also found me websites I could read to get more info and he even loaded some weight loss books on my phone so I could listen to them while driving. I really wanted it to be a change of life not a "diet!" (I knew that if I thought of it as a diet it would never work long term.) It also had to be something doable, not crazy or extreme, I didn't want to lose just to gain again. I soon came up with a plan I thought would work for me and I jumped in head first, off the deep end (so to speak). If I was going to do it I was going to do it 100%!!

The competition started Jan 31st and would be 17 weeks long ending on Memorial Day. I was thinking to myself that if I could lose 20 lb. in that time it would give me a good push in the direction I needed to go. (I started the competition weighing 205 lb.) I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled I was when I started to lose weight! The first week I lost over five pounds! As the weeks went on I started to think I just might be on to something, this just might work! So I came up with the plan to take photos every 20 pounds and hang them side by side to help keep me motivated! But I hadn't taken one to start with...then I remembered the one from 2009 and decided to wear the same clothes and stand in the same spot so I could really compare them. 

And now I have decided to share them with you! I'll worn you though glamor shots they are not! But I hope you will be able to see the changes...

210 lb. March 2009

185 lb. March 2011

165 lb. May 2011

145 lb. Jan 2012

I reached my goal of 140 lbs. on Aug 11th 2011!!

(I had failed to take the 145 lb. photo on my way down the scale so I took advantage of my 5 lb. weight gain over the holidays.)

Now I am in training for my first Half Marathon...